Governor pledges medical care and rehabilitation for victims as Army uncovers local collaborators and school principal recounts the brutal killing of two teachers.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has formally received the teachers and pupils rescued after spending 56 days in captivity following their abduction from Ahoro Esienle and Yawota schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
The victims were handed over to the Oyo State Government by the Nigerian Army during a ceremony held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, marking the transfer of responsibility for their welfare and rehabilitation.
Speaking at the event, Governor Makinde described the rescue as an extraordinary achievement made possible through the collaboration of the Federal Government, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies. He thanked President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security chiefs for their commitment to securing the victims’ freedom.
The governor assured the rescued teachers and pupils that the state government would provide continued medical care, psychosocial support and rehabilitation, stressing that their recovery would remain a top priority.
Governor Makinde also pledged to work with the management of the affected Baptist school to ensure the teachers’ careers and the pupils’ education are not disrupted by the traumatic experience.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, disclosed that the rescue followed weeks of intelligence-led operations involving multiple security agencies. He revealed that preliminary investigations uncovered the involvement of suspected local collaborators, including some vigilantes and hunters, who allegedly assisted the kidnappers.
The Army commander explained that the victims were held deep inside the forest, making aerial rescue impossible and forcing troops to rely on carefully coordinated ground operations.
In an emotional address, the school principal narrated the horrifying conditions endured during captivity, describing the experience as “torturous and horrendous.” She revealed that both teachers and pupils were repeatedly beaten, while children who cried were physically assaulted by the abductors.
She also disclosed that the terrorists brutally murdered two teachers, including mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was beheaded, and another teacher, John Olaleye, during the 56-day ordeal.
The rescue operation brought an end to one of Oyo State’s most disturbing school abduction cases and followed sustained military operations across the Old Oyo National Park and surrounding forests that led to the release of the surviving victims.